SMART Goals: A How to Guide - UCOP

Performance Appraisal Planning 2016-2017

SMART Goals: A How to Guide

SMART Goals:

A How to Guide

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Performance Appraisal Planning 2016-2017

SMART Goals: A How to Guide

Table of Contents

What are SMART Goals? ....................................................................................................................3

What is the SMART criteria? ...............................................................................................................3

How do I decide the right scope for my SMART Goals? (How big? How many?) ....................................3

Where to start? ......................................................................................................................................... 3

How to write your S-M-A-R-T goal ......................................................................................................4

Examples of Creating a SMART Goal ...................................................................................................7

Goal: I want to complete a project ........................................................................................................... 7

Goal: I want to improve my performance ................................................................................................ 8

Appendix ......................................................................................................................................... 10

Template for writing a S.M.A.R.T. Goal ............................................................................................. 11

More SMART Goal Examples ............................................................................................................ 12

Ongoing ................................................................................................................................................... 12

New Project/Performance Cycle-Specific ............................................................................................... 12

Development Goals................................................................................................................................. 13

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Performance Appraisal Planning 2016-2017

SMART Goals: A How to Guide

How to Write SMART Goals:

A Guide for Managers and Employees

What are SMART Goals?

? Statements of the important results you are working to accomplish

? Designed in a way to foster clear and mutual understanding of what constitutes

expected levels of performance and successful professional development

What is the SMART criteria?

S

Specific

M

Measurable

A

Achievable

R

Relevant

T

Time-Bound

What will be accomplished? What actions will you

take?

What data will measure the goal? (How much? How

well?

Is the goal doable? Do you have the necessary skills

and resources?

How does the goal align with broader goals? Why is

the result important?

What is the time frame for accomplishing the goal?

How do I decide the right scope for my SMART Goals? (How big? How many?)

SMART goals are meant to address all of your major job responsibilities.

Remember, goals are intended to focus attention and resources on what is most important

so that you can be successful in achieving your priorities. SMART Goals are goals for your

day-to-day job.

?

Common types of goals are to:

o Increase something

o Make something

o Improve something

o Reduce something

o Save something

o Develop someone (yourself!)

Where to start?

1. Start by thinking about your whole job and the broad areas (or ¡°buckets¡±) of

responsibility and results for which you are accountable.

2. Develop a goal statement for each bucket. To get the scope right, remember to

focus on end results not tasks.

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Performance Appraisal Planning 2016-2017

SMART Goals: A How to Guide

Goals should be high level enough to encompass the core outcomes for which you

are responsible, but specific and clear enough so you will be able to measure

success.

4. Goals should be on-going job responsibilities and any new projects, assignments,

priorities, or initiatives that are specific to this performance cycle.

5. Having too many goals can be an indicator that your goals are scoped at too low a

level and are focused more on tasks than on end results.

6. If it seems that your goals are becoming too numerous and task-oriented, it may be

helpful to consider combining several goal statements into a broader outcome area.

3.

How to write your S-M-A-R-T goal

S ¨C Specific

When setting a goal, be specific about what you want to accomplish. Think about this as the

mission statement for your goal. This isn¡¯t a detailed list of how you¡¯re going to meet a goal, but

it should include an answer to the popular ¡®w¡¯ questions:

?

Who ¨C Consider who needs to be involved to achieve the goal (this is especially

important when you¡¯re working on a group project).

?

What ¨C Think about exactly what you are trying to accomplish and don¡¯t be afraid to get

very detailed.

?

When ¨C You¡¯ll get more specific about this question under the ¡°time-bound¡± section of

defining S.M.A.R.T. goals, but you should at least set a time frame.

?

Where ¨C This question may not always apply, especially if you¡¯re setting personal goals,

but if there¡¯s a location or relevant event, identify it here.

?

Which ¨C Determine any related obstacles or requirements. This question can be

beneficial in deciding if your goal is realistic. For example, if the goal is to open a baking

business, but you¡¯ve never baked anything before, that might be an issue. As a result,

you may refine the specifics of the goal to be ¡°Learn how to bake in order to open a

baking business."

?

Why ¨C What is the reason for the goal? When it comes to using this method for

employees, the answer will likely be along the lines of company advancement or career

development.

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Performance Appraisal Planning 2016-2017

?

¡°S¡± actions may include:

Oversee

Coordinate

Supervise

Manage

Plan

Support

Transition

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SMART Goals: A How to Guide

Update

Upgrade

Develop

Create

Implement

Evaluate

Produce

Write

Process

Provide

Maintain

Reconcile

Direct

Administer

Note that this list does not include verbs like ¡°improve,¡± ¡°reduce,¡± or ¡°increase¡± (e.g.

¡°Improve customer service¡± or ¡°reduce cost.¡± These imply the direction that you want a

result to move in, but don¡¯t do much to explain the role or specific action that you will

take to accomplish this change.

M ¨C Measurable

What metrics are you going to use to determine if you meet the goal? This makes a goal more

tangible because it provides a way to measure progress. If it¡¯s a project that¡¯s going to take a

few months to complete, then set some milestones by considering specific tasks to accomplish.

Milestones are a series of steps along the way that when added up will result in the completion

of your main goal.

?

?

?

?

?

?

As the ¡°M¡± in SMART states, there should be a source of information to measure or

determine whether a goal has been achieved.

The M is a direct (or possibly indirect) indicator of what success for a particular goal will

look like.

Sometimes measurement is difficult and managers and employees will need to work

together to identify the most relevant and feasible data sources and collection methods.

Data collection efforts needed to measure a goal can be included in that goal¡¯s action

plan.

Even if a perfect, direct measurement source is not immediately feasible for a given

goal, the discussion about the desired end result (why this goal is important) and what

the measurement options are (what success might look like) is an important and

valuable part of performance planning.

Measurement methods can be both quantitative (productivity results, money saved or

earned, etc.) and qualitative (client testimonials, surveys, etc.).

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